MCU22/0118 – DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION FOR A MATERIAL CHANGE OF USE – SHORT-TERM ACCOMMODATION AT 94 & 142 NOOSA DR, NOOSA HEADS (Referred from Planning & Environment Committee dated 7 November 2023 - Item 5.1) · ATTACHMENT 1 – OFFICER’S REPORT

Matters Raised                                      Comments
•   Destruction of Koala habitat (discussed
    below)
•   Destruction of native wildlife and habitat
    and habitat corridors
•   Impacts from construction and use on
    native flora and fauna (noise, lights etc)
•   Noosa’s remnant bushland is literally
    facing ‘death by a thousand cuts’. Instead
    of removing carbon-sequestering trees to
    facilitate tourism development, we should
    be conserving remnant native vegetation.
    Riparian vegetation and coastal wetlands
    play crucial roles in ameliorating storm and
    flood damage. It is a lot more effective, and
    a lot less costly, to protect remnant
    vegetation than planting, which if
    successful, would take years to establish.
•   Climate disruption and sea level rise will
    increasingly impact the site. The
    development will contribute to climate
    change.
•   We live in the subtropics, every tree that is
    removed from this biosphere can create a
    suburban desert. A concrete jungle will be
    the final outcome of this land grab for the
    gain of money for a company that will only
    cause visual death on our streets.
•   The proposed development is contrary to
    the 2020 Noosa Plan provisions, which
    require an appropriate response to the
    site’s natural hazards and protection of the
    site’s environmental values, including
    vegetation retention

Koala Habitat                                   Agreed - as outlined in the above assessment,
                                                the proposal does not meet the environmental
•   Destruction of Koala habitat
                                                outcomes of the Strategic Framework, Zone
•   Australia has national and international Codes and Biodiversity, Waterways and
    obligations to foster recovery of Wetlands Overlay Code.
    threatened species, the latter as a
    signatory     to   the   United    Nations
    Convention on Biological Diversity. Noosa
    Shire is an IUCN Biosphere reserve, with
    additional obligations inherent therein. If
    there is any risk to threatened species
    from this, or indeed, any future
    development, then I think it incumbent on
    decision-makers       to    refuse   such
    applications.
•   Council has endorsed a 27-point action
    plan to better protect Noosa Shire's
    koalas.
•   The applicant argues that the proposal
    would enhance koala habitat by the
    removal of frangipani vines and damaged
    trees, and replanting. But such good work
    can be done without putting in yet more
    tourism accommodation and car parks.
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